Novato lottery theft suspect arrested in regional Scratchers bust

A man suspected of stealing $1,200 in scratch-off lottery tickets from a Novato gas station was arrested in Oakland.

Keith Bankhead, 54, of Oakland is also suspected of stealing Scratchers tickets from retailers in the East Bay and Sonoma County, said Lt. Jean Tristant, an investigator with the state lottery.

The Novato incident occurred at about 4 p.m. Friday at the Chevron at 7474 Redwood Blvd. Bankhead and his accomplice went into the store, and while the accomplice distracted the clerk, Bankhead allegedly pinched five packets containing hundreds of Scratchers tickets.

Investigators had been tracking the crime spree through the serial numbers on tickets that were being cashed in. On Friday, a clerk in Emeryville recognized Bankhead and refused to cash his tickets. Investigators were able to catch up to him when he tried to redeem tickets at a different location.